Two men stole money and mobile phones from cars belonging to worshippers performing Eid Al Adha prayers, Dubai Criminal Court was told.
On September 1, a 27-year-old Pakistani man and 46-year-old Bangladeshi man, broke into cars parked outside a mosque by forcing open the doors using a screw driver.
One man acted as a look out while the other carried out the thefts. The two men then fled the area with four iPhone 7s, four Samsung mobiles, a Blackberry and an undetermined amount of money.
Dubai Police received multiple reports of theft at 7am from people who all said they had been praying at Fatmah Mosque in Al Nahda 1 area in Al Qusais.
One of the theft victims, a 39-year-old Egyptian man, said he discovered his mobile phones were missing after he got home, thinking he must have left them there.
“I got home and wanted to call my family in Egypt to wish them a happy Eid but couldn't find my phones. I went back to the car then drove to the mosque where I saw police cars, then i knew my car and other cars have been burgled,” said the man.
Investigations led police to the younger defendant who had already been arrested by Sharjah Police.
"We brought him in for questioning and he admitted to all the thefts and tipped us off about his co-accused, whom he said was the master mind behind the thefts," said a 23-year-old Emirati policeman.
The accused told them he only acted as a look out while the other stole from cars. "He told us he was paid Dh1500 by the second defendant for his role."
The older defendant was arrested on October 17 at his home in Sharjah, where police found some of the stolen mobile phones.
During questioning, the pair allegedly admitted to planning the thefts a night before then heading to the mosque at nearly 4am.
At Dubai Criminal Court, the men were charged with theft and damaging others property.
The younger defendant did not attend court but his accomplice did and denied charges.
During prosecution questioning, the 46-year-old defendant allegedly admitted to three additional thefts of motorbikes, but did not elaborate further.
The next hearing is scheduled for April 30.
